Nigeria’s chances of receiving $602.95m grant for 2025 from the United States Agency for International Development is now hanging in the balance as President Donald Trump has suspended the agency’s programme for 90 days.
Trump signed an executive order freezing the fund freeze stems after his return to office in January 2025. He also ordered a comprehensive review of US foreign assistance to determine the effectiveness of American aid programmes on eliminating waste and ensuring funds align with US national interests.
With the order, fund for health, governance, economic development, and security, it is not certain if Nigeria will get the grant
The order has already disrupted multiple USAID-supported initiatives, which Nigeria is a beneficiary
The USAID proposed 2025 budget of a staggering 89.27 per cent of the total $602.95m earmarked for Nigeria meant for health-related programmes, highlighting the country’s heavy reliance on US support in the sector.
The largest share of $368m was earmarked for HIV/AIDS programmes under the Global Health Programme, while $322m would come from GHP-State and $46m from GHP-USAID.
There are more allocations of $22m for tuberculosis, $73m for malaria control, $33.25m for maternal and child health, and $22.5m for family planning and reproductive health.
The Federal Government has moved to cushion the impact of the suspension of USAID, as it has approved $200m to sustain healthcare services.
The Ministry of Finance, which revealed this, added that the funds would be used to procure essential vaccines, antiretroviral drug distribution, and maternal health services, as fears grow over potential disruptions to critical health interventions.
Similarly, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, said the Federal Government would employ 28,000 health workers previously being paid under the USAID programme, adding that the government would take ownership of the country’s healthcare sector amid the change in the policy of the US government.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) also approved an allocation of N4.5bn for the procurement of HIV treatment packs to support Nigerians living with HIV/AIDS.
